Don't Leave Me
by captainswanouat
Summary: When all of Emma's emotions finally catch up to her, Killian is the only person there to help console her crying eyes. One-shot.


**A/N: Just a little one shot idea I've had in my head for a while now. Something I personally would love to see happen on the show at some point. Enjoy! Rated T for really mild language. Most fluffy.**

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Emma set down her glass of wine on the coffee table and sunk herself into the couch cushions, letting out an exhausted sigh. It had been a hellish few weeks and everything was piling up on her shoulders; nothing was going right for her. First she was reunited with Neal. After 11 years of no contact whatsoever she figured she'd never have to deal with him again. But seeing him again and watching him interact so easily with Henry showed that he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, to her dismay as it was. Second was the agonizing aftermath of Cora's demise; not only was Regina hell bent on avenging her mother's death, but Mary Margaret was plagued with guilt and wasn't taking it well. After spending hours consoling her, David finally dismissed Emma, seeing the bags forming under her eyes.

She took a long swig from the long stemmed glass and let herself relax into the couch, allowing her mind to race. It was beginning to be too much for her to handle but she was Emma Swan; strong and independent. She could handle anything thrown her way… at least she liked to believe she could. She let the red liquid swirl around in the glass as she stared intensely at the floor, every emotion she had felt the prior week hitting her all at once. Her head fell forward and she shut her eyes tightly, the tears beginning to well in her eyes. _Don't cry. Don't you dare fucking cry_, she told herself. Her eyelids fluttered a few times as she inhaled sharply and set the glass down on the table, bringing her palms to cover her face as the first sob left her lips ever so softly.

A sob turned into multiple and before she knew what was happening she was crouched over on the couch, her cries echoing in the empty room, tears cascading down her face. All the pain she had to suffer through; whether her own or those close to her, came flooding to her in an instant and for a moment she let her walls fall down. It was all too much. She didn't ask for any of this; to be a savior. To be expected to help these people. She couldn't do it anymore.

A loud banging on her front door pulled her away from her thoughts and she sat up abruptly, wondering who would be at her door at this hour. She palmed her eyes and slowly controlled her breathing, not wanting anyone to see her in this state. She made her way to the door and grasped the handle, taking another deep calming breath before opening the door; the man on the other side surprising her.

She didn't invite him in; he did that on his own. Before she could ask why on earth he was at her door with the clock approaching midnight, Killian made his way into her living room and turned to face her. She gave him a confused look and rolled her eyes, shutting the door behind her. "Yes, of course you can come in."

"Aye love, we need to talk-" his sentence cut off as his eyes met hers. She looked away from him quickly but he didn't miss the bloodshot appearance they gave off. "Emma," he said softly while advancing towards her. She kept eye-contact with the ground, refusing to look at him. He could read her; he always had been able to. As much as she hated it, he was the last person she wanted to have see her in this state.

She could feel his hot gaze on her as he continued to close the gap between them. Suddenly another wave of emotions washed over her and she bit her lip, clenching her gut and trying to not let them get the best of her again. It was like a flood gate; once you opened it, it never stopped coming. To her dismay Killian was soon inches from her and although she could feel his hot breath on her face, she still refused to look in his direction. Suddenly the curved edge of his hook was under her chin and lifting her gaze towards his. She was surprised once her eyes met his electric blue ones; the usual smug look on his face was replaced with one of concern and genuine worry. "What's wrong love?"

And then everything seemed to fade to black as an agonizing cry left her lips and the tears that she was holding back began to fall down her face. She felt her shoulders slump forward, her body trembling, as she brought her hands to her eyes again, not only trying to calm herself down but hide her face in embarrassment. This was the last thing she wanted to have happen tonight.

She was about to tell Killian to leave, to just let her be alone tonight but was caught off guard when two strong arms wrapped around her torso, bringing her flush against him. As if it was natural to her she brought her hands up and pressed against his chest, slowing curling her fingers around the lapels of his jacket and buried her face into him. She tucked her head slightly against his neck and let herself almost fall against his chest; only the sound of her sobs filling the room. Killian brought his hand up to the back of her head, leaning his forehead on her shoulder and running his fingers calmingly through her hair. "It's okay love, I'm here," he whispered in her ear while rubbing her back soothingly. Emma let out another long cry and moved her hands from his chest to wrap around his back, holding him close to her, with no intention of letting go any time soon.

They kept this position for a few moments, Killian letting Emma cry for as long as she needed to. He had entirely forgotten why he came to her apartment in the first place; all of his priorities had changed as soon as he saw her fragile state. Emma finally pulled herself back a bit and cautiously looked up at him, his loving eyes meeting hers. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, feeling her face flush red from embarrassment. His hand moved to cup her cheek as he stroked his thumb delicately over her skin.

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about." She gave him a trying smile, feeling the tears brimming in her eyes again. He gave her a tight lipped smile and placed a kiss on her forehead before pulling her into him again. She stood there with her hands tightly grasped around him, letting him run his hand down her back and then up to shoulders a slow, tender motion. He leaned back and looked into her newly blood-shot eyes, almost able to feel her pain just from her stare. The bags under her eyes were still extremely present on her face and he ran his hand down her arm, grabbing her hand and lacing his fingers with hers. "You need to sleep love." She gave him a nod and pulled away, the curling feeling in her stomach coming back knowing he was going to leave. Everyone did.

But to her surprise he held his hand out to her, giving her a meaningful look. She reluctantly grabbed his hand and began walking back to her room; he let his hooked arm stay close to the small of her back, steading her as she walked. She slowly opened the door to her room and he followed her in, watching as she sank against the edge and slumped forward. Killian drifted towards her and stood close, moving the loose strands of hair from her face. He watched as she kicked off her boots and shrugged off her red leather jacket, revealing a plain white tank top underneath, marveling at how utterly beautiful she was. As she moved to lie down in the bed he inched to the edge, letting his hand rest against the mattress. Emma lifted the blankets and snaked underneath them, letting the warmth cloud over her, relaxing into place. She curled onto her side, bringing her knees up against her gut as her hand moved to rest under her head. Silence continued to the fill the room as Killian let his hand rest against her hip before leaning in and planting a kiss to her temple. "Sleep well love."

He turned to leave, figuring that she wanted to be left alone, but was caught off guard as her hand wrapped tightly around his wrist. He wrinkled his eyebrows together in confusion as he looked back at her, meeting her pleading eyes as he felt his heart nearly shatter. She looked so broken; so fragile. So completely not Emma. "Please… please don't leave me," she breathed out, a whimper of grief threatening to leave her lips. She was honestly not sure where this was all coming from. Her walls were completely gone, everything she prided herself on. But for the moment she didn't care. All she wanted, all she needed, was to feel his arms holding her and keeping her safe from whatever nightmares and complications plagued her mind.

Killian walked toward the bed, giving Emma a smile, before sitting on the edge and removing his shoes. He glanced down at the shirt he was wearing before turning his attention to Emma who was carefully watching him. "Lass, do you mind?" he asked while tugging on the fabric of his shirt. With a telling shake of her head he began unbuttoning it before letting it fall off his shoulders and pile on the floor. He then turned his hook to the side and removed it with a click, before setting it on the bedside table. Emma lifted the covers to her right and Killian quickly fell against the bed, his eyes once again meeting hers. She let her lips curl into a smile and he quickly snaked his arms around her torso, letting his good hand rest in the small of her back.

Everything seemed like a blur to Emma in the next moments. Her eyes were locked with his, the tension between the two of them seeming to boil over as his eyes stared intensely into hers. She wasn't entirely sure what came over her, but before she knew exactly what she was doing she had both of her hands on either side of his cheeks, giving him an asking look with her eyes. He smiled ever so slightly down at her and she pulled herself against him, bringing his lips crashing against hers.

It was a slow, tender, and warm kiss. Emma's mind was racing as his lips moved effortlessly against hers, the whole moment falling into perfect place. His stubble scrapped against her chin and she sigh against his lips, feeling herself finally let go; all of her emotions and worries leave her body. She timidly pulled away, biting her lip before looking back up at him. He let out a small laugh and leaned his forehead against hers, bringing his hand from her back to cup her cheek. He gave her another small kiss, Emma feeling her body melt against his as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. As they pulled away Emma's hands fell against his bare chest, happy tears building in her eyes. "Thank you Killian."

It wasn't lost on him that this was the first time she had used his actual name. His breath quietly hitched in his throat as he wiped away the tear that slipped out of her eye. "Anytime lass." He pulled her tight against him, leaning his head against hers on the pillows as he felt her face snuggle against his chest. He gently stroked her hair and watched her tired eyes begin to flutter shut, her body beginning to shut down from exhaust. She finally fell asleep and he continued to run his fingers through her hair, trying to take in everything from this moment; every curve that fit perfectly against him and the way her hair smelled like vanilla and reminded him of paradise. He left another kiss against her head before whispering against her:

"I won't ever leave you Emma. I swear that to you."


End file.
